Kary the Wanderer
by Raven's secret-keeper
Summary: Dove knew she was very strange the minute she saw her, but when she brings her to the tower when she falls ill, it seems like a mistake. She's just plain mean and cruel. Even when it seems there's hope, she upsets people. But is she what she seems...?
1. Prologue

_This one wasn't supposed to be published until after the Toes trilogy, but I figured this one can stand alone without them, so realize that I originally wasn't going to start this one for another two or three months and enjoy it!_

_This story has 2 OCs. The character bios would be really helpful when it comes to knowing who they are._

_The character this story introduces is featured in one of the three character bios I've published – check it out if you want more in-depth information on her!_

_Read and review,_

_**Raven's secret-keeper**_

_**- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **_

_**Kary the Wanderer**_

_**Prologue**_

Dove was walking in Jump City with Sieara, her pet dove, on her shoulder, further acquainting herself with the streets. Raven had said that if she wanted to be part of the missions, she'd have to get to know where everything was.

Suddenly she sensed something she'd never sensed before. Her body slipped into stealth mode, and she followed her senses. Hidden by a corner, she peeked around the wall and saw a figure –

Her first thought was Raven, but she quickly learned it wasn't. The person was a little too big and was too thin, her hair was long and black, her clothes weren't in good enough condition or nearly the same, and she was digging through a dumpster behind a supermarket. Dove was confused, then she read the girl's mind and realized that she was searching for food. She heard a growl and tensed and froze.

A dog's head appeared out of the dumpster. Extremely unfortunately for Dove, it was big and she guessed it was a Great Dane – meaning it would probably be pretty fast.

It barked swiftly twice, and the girl said, "What is it?"

Dove had flipped around the corner, and she was fighting the instinct to run. Raven had told her to investigate further if she found anything suspicious or saw anything interesting. What she was sensing from this girl was interesting, and the fact that this girl was strange yet digging through the dumpster was definitely not normal. So she stayed.

She could hear the dog sniffing the air cautiously and her powers slipped in her anxiety. She could sense the girl was talking to the dog and mind-reading its reply – having lost control, she could sense the dog's thoughts as well and the way the girl had translated it in her own mind, or at least the way this girl heard it.

The dog's suspicion vanished and it turned back to sniffing around. _Nothing… I just thought I saw something._ Dove couldn't help finding it strange that this girl saw the dog's thoughts as actual words. All she could do with animals was sense their feelings. _Ooh, steak!_

"And it's still in a carrier… Good job, Buster… Orange? No. Pepper? No. Half-eaten hamburger?"

_You keep that. I'll have the steak._

"Okay…"

Dove watched, once more around the corner, in much more sympathy than disgust as the girl sat down with her back against the dumpster and the dog jumped down and lay beside her, and both ate their finds.

The dog shifted and barked softly.

"What is it, boy?" the girl asked again.

Dove shot back just before the dog tilted his head and thought _I just thought I smelled something…_

"Well, I don't see anyone." The girl shrugged and finished her food ravenously.

Dove noticed again just how thin she was as she got up. She could almost see the girl's ribs; her clothes were just as thin as she was. She remembered when _she_ was like this girl… Dangerously thin and homeless with nothing but an animal companion to keep her company. Only her pet was a dove. Then she remembered Sieara, the dove sitting patiently on her shoulder. Usually she would have flown off by now, but Dove would've run as well, and they would have fled together. Dove began thinking about how her dove was just as loyal as any dog, but then she felt disturbed.

She suddenly realized that this girl was abnormal. _Way_ abnormal.

She heard them coming, so she chanted Azarath Metrion Zinthos under her breath and levitated back to the Tower.

"Raven?" She had gone immediately to her sister's room. She stayed at the doorway as the door opened, knowing the rule as well as any of the others.

Raven was meditating over her bed and seemed a bit startled, but this seemed urgent and Dove wanted Raven to know as soon as possible.

"Sorry to interrupt you."

"What is it?"

Dove's reply was amazingly fast and her words blurred together. "I saw someone today... She looked like you, but older and thinner and – "

"Wait, what?"

Raven stood up and walked to Dove.

Dove clarified, her voice slower than before, "She looked like you. Only thinner and older, but only a bit older. She was eating from a dumpster."

Raven considered for a moment, but Dove went on before she could say anything. "She had a dog, and was reading its mind and he understood what she said."

"How?"

"I have no clue. But they seemed close, and... Well, there was something really strange about her. Not the 'funny habit' strange, more like the 'something is very unusual about this' strange.

"Like what?"

"I don't know… I couldn't tell. I've never sensed anything like it before…"

"How was she reading the dog's mind? Or communicating with it?"

"She just… talked. She wasn't even looking at him or anything. And she read his thoughts as actual words, not feelings."

"Was there anything strange about the dog?"

"No. Well, besides the fact that he understood her… But I had a feeling that Sieara knew what she was saying, too." The bird on her shoulder tilted her head. "He seemed absolutely normal. It's the girl I'm wondering about."

"How exactly did she look like me?"

"I couldn't get a good glimpse of her face, but she had… sort of... her face looked a little like yours… and she had a chakra gem. On her forehead, just like – "

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Is that all?"

"No… She kind of had… Well, her eyes were the same color, and her hair was a lot longer than yours, but black, and she had… I don't know... She just had some of the same features as you."

"Any chance you would be willing to investigate?"

"As long as the dog doesn't chase me, then yeah."

"Alright. I can't help you out right now – I've never seen anyone else besides us with the gem, and I wouldn't be able to search for her psychic contact or her soul – I don't know what it's like."

"Okay…"

"Tomorrow, you can try to locate her again. If you need anything, call us."

"Why not today?"

"I think the others would like to know about this… And you seem a bit shaken."

"The dog was huge!"

"You don't need to be defensive."

"And the girl was just so… The thing I sensed sort of threw me off. It just came out of nowhere. I couldn't feel it at first, but then I just suddenly did, and it's not like there was a warning that something weird was about to pop up."

"Will you be okay tomorrow?"

"Now that I know about that weird thing, it won't be as startling – though it _is_ unsettling and uncomfortable – Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Alright. I'll call the others and tell them what you told me. Was there anything else?"

"No."

"Do you mind me telling them? You look uneasy."

"I'm just nervous about this whole thing… I mean, what if there _is_ another one of us out there, and she's… I don't know... All this uncertainty makes me anxious."

"We'll sort it out eventually. If you see her tomorrow, call us and we'll come and help you out."

"Good to know… It's still unnerving…"

"You'll be fine."

"It's not exactly me I'm worried about…"

"Then what is it?"

Dove thought for a moment. "I really don't know..."

"Don't worry. She can't be that hard to find, especially when you consider how different she sounds."

"No, it won't be that hard to find her. I knew that."

"You do remember how to search for a particular – "

"Yes."

"Then there's no reason to worry."

Dove looked at Raven unsurely, and Raven gave her a rare look of gentle reassurance. "Alright… If you say so." The fact that Raven was suspicious but not worried was a bit soothing. "I'll find her tomorrow."

Raven nodded, a bit relieved that her small gesture of comfort was taken into consideration and calmed Dove down as she hoped it would. "Make sure you meditate before you try to find her. You're still not very experienced with that ability."

"I will."

Raven nodded and left for the main room, and Dove went to her room, wondering what would happen tomorrow, if she would have to talk to the girl, if she'd even cooperate…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Review please - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_**-Raven's secret-keeper**_


	2. Regret?

_Something in this chapter may seem unlikely - her character bio explains it all in one or two sentences..._

_Read and review,_

_**Raven's secret-keeper**_

_**- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **_

_**Kary the Wanderer**_

_**Chapter 1: Regret...?**_

The next day after breakfast, Dove levitated over the buildings of Jump City, searching for psychic contact or the sense that the girl was near. She had braced herself for the empathy of whatever strangeness was going on inside the girl's soul and the image of the large dog – both of which were still unnerving, but at least wouldn't be so startling this time.

She flew on for quite awhile, her soul open and prepared for whatever sensations were lurking in the souls of those nearby. She wasn't as powerful as Raven and could only sense about a block at a time, but at least she knew what she was looking for - very vividly. Yet she couldn't find it and had to land on the ground and rest for awhile before taking off again.

It was still a long time before she finally sensed what she was looking for and landed in an alley. She followed the sense until she knew that the girl was _extremely_ close. Then she took lighter steps and forced herself to stay alert, regardless of how much she just wanted to get away from the unnatural empathetic sensations.

Dove glanced around the building and saw the girl doing the same as yesterday.

Then she stopped, for apparently no reason, and moaned awkwardly.

Dove could sense the dog's worry and couldn't help wondering -

The girl shrugged. "I don't know… Oh-! I don't feel too well…" She sat down and put a hand to her head, her breaths starting to come at a faster pace and her skin looking a bit paler.

Dove was becoming concerned – she was able to vividly sense that something was wrong. And her suspicions were confirmed when the girl suddenly leaned over and vomited before she moaned weakly and tried to sit up, but only succeeded in collapsing backwards.

The dog whimpered and sat up and walked over. It whimpered more vocally and licked her face, his tail wagging hopefully and then drooping a bit.

Dove could sense the girl was unconscious and stepped into the alley. The dog's ears pricked up, and he turned to her and growled a threat before refocusing on his companion. Dove gulped and considered calling the others, then she began to sense that the girl was deathly ill. She walked farther in, and the dog turned to her and bristled his back hairs, laid his ears flatly against his head, and put his head lower to the ground with his teeth bared before issuing a low, rumbling growl.

"I-I-I won't hurt you," Dove stammered weakly. "I-I just want to help her…" Dove heard her voice crack, and the dog lifted his head just a bit. "P-Please – just let me –" She sighed and swallowed, unable to keep a hold on to her voice anymore. The dog tilted his head and cautiously lifted his ears a bit.

Dove took slow steps to the girl's limp body and the dog growled again. Dove cautiously picked her up, even though she was so scared she felt sick. She had to use her telekinesis to help her move the girl, but she had a good enough handle on that to succeed. She told the dog that she promised his owner was safe, then she levitated into the air, shakily at first from her fear but she closed her eyes and focused on remaining calm and the rest of the way home was steady enough to not send both of them falling into the river.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Dove carried the girl into Titans' Tower and into the hospital wing before setting her on one of the beds and calling the others.

Robin, Raven, and Cyborg came in a few moments later and set the girl up to the monitors.

As they began running the analysis test, Dove couldn't help but watch the girl's slowly rising and falling chest as she faintly breathed in and out. "Is she okay?" she asked quietly.

"She's weak," Robin told her. "And she's sick. _Very_ sick."

"I know…"

"But she has all the vital signs and she's going to be fine."

Dove nodded. "I wonder how long she's been like that," she added softly.

"Like what?" Cyborg asked.

"Eating out of a dumpster… I mean, I used to be sort of homeless, after I left Azarath and before I met you guys, but… I never ate out of a dumpster. I didn't starve to death, but I was still really hungry… I feel sort of sorry for her…" Dove gulped uneasily.

Cyborg set up an IV and took a blood sample before he put it into the machine to get her genetic code.

When it beeped to confirm its completion, he said, "Guys, you may wanna come check this out."

Robin and Dove went to the monitor. Dove became puzzled, and Robin looked closer.

"She has some of the same genetic material Raven has," Cyborg told them.

Raven looked up.

Robin added, "But she has almost nothing in common with Dove."

All three looked at the monitor.

Beast Boy came in after a few moments. "Dude, I saw Dove come in carrying some girl – " He looked at her and stopped. "Whoa."

Robin spoke up. "Raven, she has to be related to you by mother."

Raven looked at the girl. "I don't…"

"She _does_ look a little like Arella," Dove said. "Raven, what's that… thing… I sense?"

"I think it's… a… spell."

"What kind - ?"

"The same kind that caused both of us to exist."

Dove's eyes widened. "Wh-What…?"

"I… I don't think she was born the way she is… Something corrupted her, changed her soul."

"Oh… That's… that's just... weird. Not to mention wrong and horrible…"

Raven nodded.

"So… _**What**_ now?" Cyborg asked, speaking for everyone else in the room.

"All of you know about my empathy, the ability to sense one's soul," Raven explained. "I can sense that she's been changed."

"And what that about a spell?" Beast Boy asked.

"I think that whatever it was that changed her was from the same place that brought Trigon here to have Dove and myself."

"Wait, what?" Cyborg asked.

"You mean those people that called him Scath, or - ?"

"No. I mean… It was a cult of Satan worshippers."

Dove blinked. "Okay... Didn't know that."

"Your mother would have looked suspicious if she asked too much about us."

Dove nodded, then she glanced back at the girl. "I wonder what happened to her," she mused slowly. "I can do a soul-reading when she wakes up."

"Good idea," Robin responded.

"A what?" Beast Boy inquired.

"I look into her eyes and look into her soul. I'd search her memories for any hints in her past."

"You do that," Cyborg said. "I have to run the rest of the tests on her."

"I'll run a background check," Robin announced.

"I'll tell you guys when she wakes up," Dove threw in.

"Then the only people who should be in here are Dove and Cyborg," Raven told everyone. "She needs rest and she might be unconscious for awhile, but when she wakes up, she won't need any stress."

They nodded and all left except Cyborg and Dove.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The girl woke up the next day and moaned. "She's up," Dove muttered, a little startled. With how sick she was, she shouldn't be awake yet.

She sat up and held her head in her hands. "Ow… Hey, where am I?" She looked at Dove. "Who're you? How did I get here?!" Her voice grew in speed and desperate urgency as she spoke. "What's going on?!" She was now half-yelling. She moaned again and put her head in her hands. "So dizzy…"

"You should rest," Dove said. "Don't worry, we won't hurt you. You fainted in the alley and I brought you here."

"Wha - ? Fainted? Where's Buster?" She began looking around.

"Who - ?"

"The dog. Where is he? Is he here? Where'd he go?"

"Um, he's still in the city, I think."

"No, he would follow me."

"The farthest he could go is the door."

"Then check there!"

"Uh... Okay…" Dove took out her communicator. "Guys, she's up. And she says her dog is by the door."

"We'll be there in a minute."

Dove put her communicator away. As she waited for the others to arrive, she asked, "So, uh, what's your name?"

"Kary." She looked away. "You know what? I'll just get out of here and – "

"_No!_ You're too sick! You could have died if I hadn't brought you here. Don't do this to yourself."

"What are you going to do? Force me to not get up until I'm _all better_?" The last words had a scornful, mocking tone in them.

"No, but we'll make sure you don't kill yourself," Dove said, her voice a little softer.

"Oh, yeah, like getting up and taking a few steps is gonna kill me."

"Actually, it might," Robin said as he walked in.

Kary raised an eyebrow. "Really," she said sarcastically.

"Your energy hasn't returned yet. You're going to need to stay here and heal."

Kary snorted. "This is so pathetic."

"What don't you get about this?" Dove asked desperately.

"Why you're so concerned. I'm not some weak, lost little girl trying to find her way home."

Raven entered as she said it, and Robin replied, "And we're not some group of kids bossing you around just for the fun of it."

The newcomer rolled her eyes. "Look, guys. I _really_ don't appreciate being treated like a baby, k?"

"We're not treating you like a baby. You – "

"Guys!" Dove called desperately, sensing more than one temper rising. "This isn't the time to be arguing. Kary needs rest, and this fighting isn't going to help," she told them, her voice softer and uneasy.

Kary shook her head slowly and disapprovingly.

"Kary, you need to calm down."

"What…?"

"You're risking heightening your blood pressure, and you could knock yourself out again," Dove explained, a little confusion trickling into her voice at the way Kary seemed to be inspecting her suspiciously. Then she blinked and repositioned her mind on the situation at hand. "You're sick, Kary. You need rest. You can accept it or try to deny it, but you are. Please, just trust us."

Kary looked at her, then closed her eyes and leaned back onto the pillow. "Fine, but for my own health, not yours."

"_Thank_ you," Dove muttered.

"Took you long enough," Raven said.

"Yeah, yeah…"

Starfire entered, and she opened her eyes. The dog bounded in behind the Tamaranian, and Kary shot back up. "Hey, boy! 'Bout time, huh?" The dog jumped onto the bed and began licking her wildly, and Kary began laughing, playfully pushing him away but letting him bring his tongue all over her face again.

Dove gulped and stepped behind Raven, her body starting to shake with her fear. Like the others, regardless of her phobic feelings, she couldn't help being a bit confused. This girl was so full of scorn and distrust only a moment ago, and now she's acting like the rest of them weren't even there, and as if she had never fallen ill.

Raven turned to Dove. "When can you read her memories?" she whispered.

"Well, when the d-dog's not here, and she has to be c-calm, or her emotions will… cloud my view…" Dove shuddered and expelled a breath.

"All right, Dove," Raven called, "let's get you out of here before you lose control."

Dove nodded and eagerly ran out of the room, waiting for Raven to catch up just outside the threshold. After a few seconds, her shivers subsided and she said, "I don't even think _I_ can stand her."

"That's hard for you to say. You don't usually dislike anyone… And something tells me I won't like her much, either."

"She's just… She's not listening to the truth, she won't even bother to hear reason, and she makes me uncomfortable. She's confrontational and really gets defensive… not to mention she's so stubborn… Just five minutes in there with her awake made me wonder if picking her up was a good idea. Why is she so…"

"I think we need to keep an eye on her. She may be stubborn, but she seems upset. And her reaction when you told her to calm down…"

"She looked like I just poured ice water down her back."

"Like you knew some big secret."

Dove's eyes widened a bit, then her expression changed to one of pondering. "Hm… and I don't think she's completely uncaring…. Maybe she just doesn't like people, like you. I mean, the way she treated her dog! She really cares about him, and even without the empathy, I can tell that she _can_ be tolerable…But if the dog wasn't there, I'd doubt it with all I am."

"Maybe… Maybe we should give her a chance."

"Raven, that sounded like anything _but_ you."

"I know, but look at us. When I first joined the team, I was standoffish in the least, and nervous about them and the future. I didn't trust them at all. And when you first came to us, you were weak and all too emotional. But now… Maybe she just needs some time to learn to trust us..."

Dove thought about what Raven said. "Yeah … She's probably in shock, too. She fainted in an alley and woke up with wires attached to her. I know _I'd _be pretty nervous, or _something_..."

"Maybe…" Raven somehow had a feeling that there was more to this situation than a bit of shock.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Review please - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_**-Raven's secret-keeper**_


End file.
